Crib apparatus

ABSTRACT

A combination crib and high chair apparatus for supporting a child in a reclining position, and a seated position, respectively. The apparatus includes a deck having a head end, a foot end and generally parallel sides. Side rails are positioned adjacent the sides. End rail are positioned adjacent the ends of the deck. A seat is oriented adjacent one of the ends of the deck. The seat extends outwardly from the end. A base is coupled to the deck and the seat.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a crib apparatus andparticularly, to a crib apparatus for supporting infants and toddlersduring their stays at a hospital. More particularly, this inventionrelates to a crib apparatus having chair and bed portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Adult hospital patients typically are provided with hospital bedsadjustable to sitting positions, for example, to facilitate serving ofmeals to the patients. Meals are generally served to such a patient onan overbed table placed adjacent to the patient's bed so that theoverbed table is oriented over the patient's lap when the bed isoriented so that the patient is sitting up. After the meal, the overbedtable is moved away from the bed and stored elsewhere.

[0003] Infants are generally fed while being held by an adult. However,children between the ages of, for example, 9 months and 4 years, aregenerally too large to be fed in the arms of an attending health careworker or parent, but are too young to be fed using an overbed table.Such children might eat sitting in conventional high chairs or boosterseats when at home. However, such equipment may not be available in ahospital.

[0004] Furthermore, health care workers who attend to children athospitals often stand beside the child's crib. Attending health careworkers thus prefer for the child to be supported at a relatively highelevation to facilitate access to the child. On the other hand, a parentof a hospitalized child may spend considerable time seated in a chair atthe child's bedside. For this reason, parents may prefer for the childto be supported at a relatively low elevation to facilitate access tothe child.

[0005] Thus, a child's bed that is adjustable through a wide range ofelevations and includes an integrated high chair would be appreciated byhealth care workers and parents. Health care workers and parents wouldalso appreciate a child's bed having rails that are movable to positionspermitting unobstructed access to the child. In addition, health careworkers and parents would appreciate a child's bed that permits thechild to be moved into and out of the bed without the need to disconnectand reconnect any tubes or wires that are coupled to the child, forexample, for the administration of health care.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention includes amattress and a crib structure configured to support the mattress. Thecrib structure includes a chair portion, a tray movable relative to thechair portion, and a crib rail assembly movable relative to the mattressand relative to the chair portion. In preferred embodiments, the traymoves horizontally relative to the chair portion, and the crib railassembly moves vertically relative to the chair portion. Someembodiments include a powered drive assembly that is operable to changethe position of the mattress relative to the chair portion. According toone embodiment, the crib structure includes a first end unit having achair portion and a second end unit having a storage compartment.

[0007] In an illustrative embodiment the crib structure includes a chairportion having an upwardly-facing seat surface and a back surfaceextending above the seat surface and terminating at a top edge. In thisembodiment, the crib structure further includes a tray movable between afirst position covering the seat surface and covering the top edge and asecond position uncovering at least a portion of the seat surface.

[0008] In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, an apparatusincludes a mattress having a periphery and an upwardly-facing surface.The apparatus includes a crib structure configured to support themattress. The crib structure has a pair of spaced apart end units, eachof which has a top surface. The crib structure also has a plurality ofcrib rail assemblies positioned about the periphery of the mattress. Thecrib rail assemblies are movable vertically relative to the mattress andeach of the crib rail assemblies has a top rail edge. The mattress andcrib rail assemblies are movable to a position in which the top surfacesof the end units, the top edges of the crib rail assemblies, and theupwardly-facing surface of the mattress are substantially coplanar.

[0009] Also in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the cribstructure includes a plurality of crib rail assemblies each having apair of spaced apart side edges. The crib rail assemblies are movablevertically relative to the mattress between raised and loweredpositions. Each crib rail assembly is movable independent of each of theother crib rail assemblies. A plurality of gaps are defined between theside edges of the crib rails when the crib rails are in the raisedposition. The gaps are configured to permit passage of medical linestherethrough.

[0010] Additional features and advantages of this apparatus will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the followingdetailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the bestmode of carrying out the apparatus as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The invention may best be understood by referring to thefollowing detailed description and accompanying drawings whichillustrate the invention. In the drawings:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a patient support according to thepresent invention showing a mattress, a crib structure supporting themattress, and the crib structure having a plurality of crib railassemblies, each crib rail assembly being in a raised position above themattress;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the patient support of FIG. 1showing each of the crib rail assemblies being movable independently ofone another and lowered by different amounts from the respective raisedpositions;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the patient support of FIG. 1showing each crib rail assembly moved to a lowered position havingrespective top edges of the crib rail assemblies substantially coplanarwith an upwardly facing surface of the mattress;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the patient support of FIG. 3showing the substantially coplanar relationship of the upwardly facingsurface of the mattress, the top edges of the crib rail assemblies, andthe top surfaces of a pair of end units located adjacent to oppositeends of the mattress;

[0016]FIG. 5 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 4 showing themattress and two of the crib rail assemblies along the sides of themattress moved to a position below the top surfaces of the end units;

[0017]FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the patient support of FIG. 1showing the crib rail assemblies in the raised position;

[0018]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the patient supportof FIG. 1 showing medical lines passing through a gap defined betweenside edges of two of the crib rail assemblies;

[0019]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the patient supportof FIG. 1 showing the crib structure having a chair portion with anupwardly facing seat surface and a back surface extending above the seatsurface and showing a tray of the crib structure moved to a positionuncovering a portion of the seat surface;

[0020]FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the portion of the patient support ofFIG. 8 showing the tray moved to an outermost position having the seatsurface completely uncovered;

[0021]FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9showing a crotch post appended to an undersurface of the tray andextending downwardly therefrom;

[0022]FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of the apparatus illustrated inFIGS. 1-10 in the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6;

[0023]FIG. 12 is an end elevation view similar to FIG. 11 showing acanopy assembly supported above the crib rail assemblies;

[0024]FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view of the patient support of FIG.12 showing a top canopy segment, a first canopy segment moved about alongitudinal axis to an opened position having an arcuate panel of thefirst canopy segment positioned to lie in an interior region of the topcanopy segment, and a second canopy segment in a closed position havingthe majority of an arcuate panel of the second canopy segment positionedto lie outside the interior region of the top canopy segment;

[0025]FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 13 showing thefirst canopy segment in a closed position having a majority of thearcuate panel of the first segment positioned to lie outside theinterior region of the top canopy segment and showing the second canopysegment moved to an opened position having the arcuate panel of thesecond canopy segment positioned to lie in the interior region of thetop canopy segment;

[0026]FIG. 15 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 13 of analternative embodiment canopy assembly showing a first canopy half movedabout a longitudinal axis partially toward an open position and a secondcanopy half in a closed position, the first canopy half having anarcuate panel that overlies an arcuate panel of the second canopy halfwhen the first canopy half is in the open position; and

[0027]FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the patient support of FIG. 1.

[0028] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. The exemplification set out hereinillustrates an embodiment of the apparatus, in one form, and suchexemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of theapparatus in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, a patient support or cribapparatus 2 includes a mattress 16 and a crib structure 4 configured tosupport mattress 16 as shown in FIGS. 1-6. Crib structure 4 includes aplurality of crib rail assemblies 8, 10, 12, 14 two of which arelongitudinally extending side rails assemblies 8, 10 and two of whichare transversely extending end rail assemblies 12, 14. Thus, railassemblies 8, 10 extend along the long sides of mattress 16 and end railassemblies extend along the short sides of mattress 16. Crib structure 4also includes a base 20 having a central portion 100 underlying mattress16 and a pair of end units or sections 22, 24 coupled to central portion100 at opposite ends thereof as shown best in FIGS. 4 and 6. (See FIG.4.) A power drive assembly 101 which may, for example, includeelectrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic prime mover components, isprovided in central portion 100. Power drive assembly 101 is used tochange, inter alia, the position of mattress 16. A plurality of casters28 are coupled to base 20 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0030] Crib structure 4 includes a high chair portion 6 and a tray 27 asshown in FIGS. 8 and 10. Patient support apparatus 2 is useful forchildren. Those too young or whose condition is too critical to feedthemselves will remain on mattress 16 and will receive their meals, forexample, intravenously or from a bottle. Children capable of doing socan take their meals sitting on chair portion 6, with their food placedon tray 27. Children capable of doing so can also sit on chair portion 6and play with toys placed on tray 27. Inclusion of chair portion 6 andtray 27 as part of patient support apparatus 2 thus can reduce theamount of equipment a health care facility needs to purchase, maintainand store for these functions.

[0031] Crib rail assemblies 8, 10, 12, 14 and mattress 16 are verticallyadjustable through a wide range of elevations. For example, mattress 16is continuously adjustable from a high position illustrated in FIGS. 1and 3 to a low position illustrated in FIG. 5. When mattress 16 is inthe position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, crib rail assemblies 8, 10,12, 14 are movable independently of each other between the positionsillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6 and the positions illustrated in FIGS. 3and 4. When mattress 16 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 5, siderails 8, 10 are further movable to the positions illustrated in FIG. 5.Typically, when caregivers desire unobstructed access to the patient,crib rail assemblies 8, 10, 12, 14 are moved to the lowered position,but mattress 16 is left in the high position because the caregiversattending to the patient will usually be standing alongside patientsupport apparatus 2. Parents and other visitors, on the other hand, mayprefer to have mattress 16 and side rails 8, 10 in even lower positionsto promote visibility of and access to the patient when the parentsand/or visitors are seated near the patient support apparatus 2.

[0032] Each crib side rail assembly 8, 10 includes a top 30, a bottom32, and sides 34, 36. In addition, each crib rail assembly 8, 10 ismovable independently of each of end crib rail assemblies 12, 14, asshown in FIG. 2 where each of crib rail assemblies 8, 10, 12, 14 are indifferent positions between their respective raised and loweredpositions. Crib apparatus 2 is provided with suitable locking mechanismsthat lock each of crib rail assemblies 8, 10, 12, 14 in their respectiveadjusted positions. Such locking mechanisms are well-known to thoseskilled in the art to which this invention pertains. For example, in oneembodiment, sides 34, 36 of each crib rail assembly 8, 10 include aplurality of apertures that receive corresponding locking pins (notshown) that extend out of end units 22, 24. The locking pins areretracted out of the apertures by actuation of suitable releasemechanisms such as handles, levers, knobs, buttons, or the like that areoperatively coupled to the locking pins either mechanically via cables,chains, links, and the like or electrically via solenoids, motors,relays, and the like. Equivalents to the locking pins include, but areby no means limited to, latches, hooks, pawls, or the like.

[0033] In cases in which optimum access to the patient is necessary ordesirable, all of the locking mechanisms are unlocked and all railassemblies 8, 10, 12, 14 are moved to the positions illustrated in FIG.3. In the illustrated embodiment, assemblies 8, 10, 12, 14, are loweredto place portions 30, 44 at or below surface 108 of mattress 16. Theaccess to the patient afforded the caregiver standing anywhere aboutpatient support apparatus 2 can best be appreciated by comparing FIGS. 3and 4 to FIG. 1. Height 110 illustrated in FIG. 4 is convenient for thecaregiver working with the patient.

[0034] Various medical lines, such as intravenous tubes, oxygen tubes,waste management tubes, electrocardiograph wires, electroencephalographwires, and the like oftentimes extend between the patient and associatedmedical equipment. Crib rail assemblies 8, 10, 12, 14 of patient supportapparatus 2 are configured to permit such medical lines, for examplelines 23 shown in FIG. 7, to extend through passageways 74 located atthe corner regions between siderails 8, 10 and end rails 12, 14.

[0035]FIG. 1 illustrates a support apparatus 2 with integral cribstructure 4 and high chair portion 6. High chair portion 6 is formed inend section 22. High chair portion 6 includes a seat 26 and a tray 27.As is conventional, each side rail assembly 8, 10 includes several bars38 which extend generally vertically between an upper surface 40 ofbottom portion 32 and a lower surface 42 of upper portion 30.

[0036] End rail assemblies 12, 14, include spaced apart top and bottomportions 44, 46, respectively, and spaced apart side portions 48, 50,respectively. Portions 44, 46, 48, 50 cooperate to form a frame. A clearpanel 54 mounted to the inner surfaces 56, 58, 60, 62, of portions 44,46, 50, 52 permits observation of the patient on mattress 16. Panel 54can be made from, for example, a transparent or suitably translucentresin. Decorative indicia, such as stickers, are optionally included onpanel 54.

[0037] Flanges 64, 66, extend outwardly from top portions 44 of ends 68,70 adjacent ends 72 of side rail assemblies 8, 10 to form passageways 74between end surfaces 76 of end rail assemblies 12, 14, and end surfaces78 of side rail assemblies 8, 10. Passageways 74 are provided at eachcorner of crib structure 4 to accommodate lines 23 as previouslydiscussed.

[0038] As previously discussed, rail assemblies 8, 10, 12, 14, aremovable relative to mattress 16. In the illustrated embodiment, a groove80 is provided in each end surface 76. A tongue 82 is provided on asurface 84 of each end section 22, 24 to engage each groove 80 toprovide for the vertical movement of rail assemblies 8, 10 relative toend sections 22, 24. This movement is indicated by directional arrows86, 88. The range of motion can be appreciated by referring to FIGS. 4,5 and 6. End rails 12, 14 are similarly movable vertically with respectto their respective end sections 22, 24.

[0039] End sections 22, 24 include side panels 224, 226 and top panels228, 230. As illustrated in FIG. 8, sides 182, 184 lie adjacent toppanels 228, 230. Sides 182, 184, form portions of rail assemblies 192,194, respectively, which will be discussed in greater detail below. Asbest illustrated in FIG. 1, surfaces 84 having tongues 82 extendinwardly from panels 224, 226.

[0040] A face panel 232 extends outwardly between side panels 224, 226.In the illustrated embodiment, end section 22 includes a storagecompartment 234 which is accessible through an opening provided in facepanel 232. See FIGS. 1 through 3. Another face plate 236 is positionedbetween side panels 224, 226 below face panel 232.

[0041] End section 24 is similar in construction to end section 24. Inthe illustrated embodiment, end section 24 does not include high chairportion 6 or storage compartment 234. However, end section 24 couldinclude one or the other or both a storage compartment and/or a highchair if desired.

[0042] Referring now particularly to FIG. 8, high chair portion 6includes seat 26 having a generally horizontally extending seat surface116, a generally vertically extending, illustratively curved, back rest118, generally vertically extending sides 120, 122, a top surface 124,and tray 27. Seat 26 is integrally formed with and into end section 22.See also FIGS. 4, 5 and 10. Back rest 118 is positioned adjacent channel130 which receives end rail 12. Side surfaces 120, 122 may be generallycontinuous with, or meet at corners 136 with, back rest 118. Inaddition, back rest 118 meets top surface 124 at a top edge 198.

[0043] Tray 27 includes top and bottom surfaces 180, 181, sides 182,184, and illustratively curved front and rear faces 186, 188. An opening191 in tray 27 provides a handle 190 which is useful to move tray 27between a projected, use orientation exposing seat 26 and a retracted,storage orientation. In the illustrated embodiment, surface 180 of tray27 includes a raised perimetral edge to reduce the likelihood thatliquids spilled on recessed region 183 of tray 27 will run off it.

[0044] Crib apparatus 2 includes rail assemblies 192, 194 that coupletray 27 to end unit 22. Tongues 200 of rail assemblies 192, 194 areattached to sides 182, 184 of tray 27 and grooves 196 of rail assemblies192, 194 are attached to side walls of end unit 22 above top surface 124as shown in FIG. 8. Tongues 200 and grooves 196 cooperate to permit themanipulation of tray 27 inwardly to its storage orientation andoutwardly to its use orientation with respect to chair portion 26. Inthe storage orientation, tray 27 covers top edge 198. A crotch post 208provided on the underside 181 of tray 27 reduces the likelihood that achild placed in seat 26 will slide out of chair 6.

[0045] Referring now to FIGS. 12-14, one illustrated embodiment ofpatient support apparatus 2 includes a canopy 231. Looking from eitherend of the canopy 231, it includes three sections 242, 243, 244, each ofwhich defines slightly more than one sixth of a circle. This providessome overlap between adjacent sections 242, 243 and 243, 244.Illustratively, sections 242, 243, 244 are constructed, at least inpart, from transparent or highly translucent, perhaps tinted, resinspermitting observation of a child on the mattress 16 underneath canopy231. The central section 243 includes two adjacent, arcuately shapedlayers of the material defining between them an arcuate slot 246. Thewidth of the arcuate slot 246 is such that both of the other sections242, 244 can be pivoted upwardly and toward each other about the centerof the circle of which they are sectors into the slot 246 for storageand/or access to the child in support apparatus 2 from either side ofthe support apparatus 2.

[0046] In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 15, only two sections252, 254 are provided. Looking from either end of the canopy, each ofsections 252, 254 defines slightly more than a quarter of the circleabout which each is pivotable upward and toward the other to gain accessto the child in support apparatus 2 from either side of the supportapparatus 2. This provides some overlap between the sections 252, 254.Again, illustratively sections 252, 254 are constructed, at least inpart, from transparent or highly translucent resins. In eitherembodiment, handles 248, 250 are provided along the lower edges of themovable sections 242, 244 (FIGS. 12-14), 252, 254 (FIG. 15) tofacilitate movement.

[0047] As previously discussed, patient support apparatus 2 includescasters 28. In addition, patient support apparatus 2 includes brakingand steering mechanisms (not shown). The braking and steering mechanismsfacilitate movement of patient support apparatus 2, for example, bylocking one or more of casters 28 against pivoting in such a way as tokeep the apparatus traveling in a straight line. The braking systempermits braking of one or more of casters 28, for example, to prevent orbetter control movement of patient support apparatus 2.

[0048] It is appreciated that although patient support apparatus 2 isdescribed herein as being used in a hospital environment, patientsupport apparatus 2 may just as well be used by consumers in their homesand thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to apparatus usedonly in hospitals.

[0049] Furthermore, although the apparatus has been described withreference to particular means, materials and embodiments, from theforegoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain theessential characteristics of the illustrative apparatus and variouschanges and modifications may be made to adapt the various uses andcharacteristics without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as described by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus including a mattress, a cribstructure configured to support the mattress, the crib structureincluding a chair portion, a tray movable relative to the chair portion,and a crib rail assembly movable relative to the mattress and relativeto the chair portion.
 2. An apparatus including a mattress, and a cribstructure configured to support the mattress, the crib structureincluding a chair portion, a tray that is movable horizontally relativeto the chair portion, and a crib rail assembly that is movablevertically relative to the chair portion.
 3. An apparatus including amattress, and a crib structure configured to support the mattress, thecrib structure including a chair portion and a powered drive assemblythat is operable to change the position of the mattress relative to thechair portion.
 4. The patient support apparatus of claim 3 wherein thepowered drive assembly is powered electrically.
 5. The patient supportapparatus of claim 3 wherein the powered drive assembly is poweredhydraulically.
 6. The patient support apparatus of claim 3 wherein thepowered drive assembly is powered pneumatically.
 7. An apparatusincluding a mattress, and a crib structure configured to support themattress, the crib structure including a first end unit having a chairportion, a second end unit having a storage compartment, and a pluralityof crib rail assemblies movable relative to the first and second endunits.
 8. An apparatus including a mattress, a crib structure configuredto support the mattress, the crib structure including a chair portionhaving an upwardly facing seat surface and a back surface extendingabove the seat surface and terminating at a top edge, the crib structureincluding a tray movable between a first position covering the seatsurface and covering the top edge and a second position uncovering atleast a portion of the seat surface.
 9. An apparatus including amattress having a periphery and an upwardly facing surface, a cribstructure configured to support the mattress, the crib structure havinga pair of spaced apart end units, each end unit having a top surface,the crib structure having a plurality of crib rail assemblies positionedabout the periphery of the mattress and movable vertically relative tothe mattress, each of the crib rail assemblies having a top rail edge,the mattress and crib rail assemblies being movable to a position inwhich the top surfaces of the end units, the top edges of the crib railassemblies, and the upwardly facing surface of the mattress aresubstantially coplanar.
 10. An apparatus including a mattress, a cribstructure configured to support the mattress, the crib structureincluding a plurality of crib rail assemblies each having a pair ofspaced apart side edges, the crib rail assemblies being movablevertically relative to the mattress between a raised position and alowered position, each crib rail assembly being movable independent ofeach of the other crib rail assemblies, a plurality of gaps beingdefined between the side edges of the crib rail assemblies when the cribrail assemblies are in the raised position, the gaps being configured topermit passage of medical lines therethrough.
 11. A patient supportapparatus including: a crib having a support surface configured tosupport a patient's body in a reclining position; and a chair extendingoutwardly from the crib configured to support the patient's body in aseated position.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the chairincludes a seat extending outwardly from the support surface of thecrib.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the crib includes a pair ofspaced apart, side rails and a pair of spaced apart, end rails extendingtherebetween forming an interior region within which the support surfaceis received.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein at least one of theside rails is movable vertically relative to the support surface. 15.The apparatus of claim 13 wherein at least one of the end rails ismovable vertically relative to the deck.
 16. The apparatus of claim 13wherein the side and end rails are movable vertically relative to thesupport surface.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the side and endrails each include a top edge movable between positions above, levelwith and below the support surface.
 18. The apparatus of claim 13 havingan opening between one of the end rails and one of the side rails. 19.The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the opening is a vertical opening. 20.The apparatus of claim 17 further including a canopy positioned adjacentthe top edges of the side and end rails.
 21. The apparatus of claim 13wherein the chair further includes a back rest provided adjacent one ofthe end rails.
 22. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the support surfaceis movable vertically relative to the rest of the apparatus.
 23. Theapparatus of claim 11 wherein the chair is configured to support asecond patient in a seated position while the crib is configured toconcurrently support the patient in the reclining position.
 24. Acombination crib and high chair apparatus for supporting a child in areclining position, and a seated position, respectively, the apparatusincluding: a deck having a head end, a foot end and generally parallelsides; generally parallel side rails each positioned adjacent one of thesides; first and second end rails, the first end rail positionedadjacent the head end of the deck and the second end rail positionedadjacent the foot end of the deck; a seat having front and rear ends andsides, the rear end positioned adjacent one of the head and foot ends ofthe deck and the seat extending outwardly from the rear end; and a basecoupled to the deck and the seat.
 25. The apparatus of claim 24 furtherincluding a backrest extending upwardly from the rear end of the seat.26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the seat includes a pair of sidewalls, each extending from one of the sides.
 27. The apparatus of claim26 wherein the seat also includes a tray coupled to at least one of theside walls and extending outwardly from the front end.
 28. The apparatusof claim 27 wherein the tray includes a downwardly extending stopmember.
 29. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein at least one of the siderails is movable vertically relative to the deck.
 30. The apparatus ofclaim 24 wherein at least one of the end rails is movable verticallyrelative to the deck.
 31. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the siderails and end rails are movable vertically relative to the deck.
 32. Theapparatus of claim 31 wherein each side rail and end rail includes a topedge movable among positions above, level with and below the deck. 33.The apparatus of claim 24 having a slot provided between one of the endrails and one of the side rails.
 34. The apparatus of claim 24 whereinthe deck is movable relative to the rest of the apparatus.
 35. Theapparatus of claim 24 having a height sufficient to provide convenientaccess by a person to the deck without having to bend substantially atthe person's waist.
 36. The apparatus of claim 24 further including acanopy having at least one access door positioned adjacent the side andend rails.
 37. The apparatus of claim 24 further including an endsection adjacent each of the head and foot ends of the deck.
 38. Theapparatus of claim 37 wherein each of the end sections is configured toreceive one of the end rails.
 39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein theseat is coupled to one of the end sections.
 40. The apparatus of claim39 wherein the seat is integrally formed with one of the end sections.41. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the canopy includes an access doormovable between open and closed positions.
 42. A crib including: a meansfor supporting the patient in a resting position; and a means forsupporting the patient in a seated position; the means for supportingthe patient in the resting position being concurrent with the means forsupporting the patient in the seated position.